Exploration of Disparities in Environmental Activities of European Countries from Year 2006 to Year 2016.

The main aim of the study is to investigate and to evaluate the disparities in the environmental activities of the European countries in the time period from the year 2006 to the year 2016. The data from the Eurostat database is applied. Regarding the character of the data and the target orientation of the study, the cluster analysis is selected in order to reveal the desired relations. The analysis outcome point to several interesting facts. The distribution of the countries among the clusters is very uneven. The participants behave considerably differently. For instance, Austria belongs to the largest clusters in all but one explored fields, although its output is not very similar to the remaining countries. This reveals inefficiency that should be a subject of further research. The obtained findings enable to carry out a structural analysis of the environmental activities under investigation and to define causal relationships and research trajectories that would reflect the extent of economic and legislative measures in place in each country, the demographic structure impacts on environmental activities, and economic subsystems in the country, causes of environmental disparities within countries, etc. The results of the study are particularly relevant for national and international environmental policymakers, as well as for the concept of regional development plans and the development of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]